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O’NEILL |
The former Ohio Supreme Court justice running for Ohio governor stopped by Bellefontaine on Thursday to address local Democrats and meet the press.
William O’Neill, 70, of Cleveland, is running amid a large field in the May 7 Democratic primary that also includes Richard Cordray, Dennis Kucinich, Joseph Schiavoni, Larry Ealy and Paul Ray.
The candidate discussed an eight-point platform, the top three items of which are aimed at addressing Ohio’s drug problem. “As a pediatric ER nurse, when I see 5,000 people a year dying from heroin overdoses, that’s unacceptable,” O’Neill said. “There is an epidemic in Ohio.”
His proposed solution involves legalizing marijuana and using the estimated $500 million in new taxes that would be generated to fund additional treatment centers and hospitals to address opiate use, which he believes will decline if recreational marijuana is permitted.
“These are transactions that are already happening, but the money is funding organized crime,” the candidate said. “If we used that money to open 10 regional mental health hospitals, we could treat people with drug problems instead of sending them to prison.”
Read complete story in Friday’s Examiner.
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